Trump says he doesn't know if he must uphold Constitution
By: Joey Garrison (USA TODAY)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump said he does not know whether he's required to uphold the U.S. Constitution as president in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" as he defended his administration's actions to remove people who are in the country illegally.
Trump's comments follow the Supreme Court in April saying the Trump administration must "facilitate" the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland sheet metal worker and father of three who was wrongfully deported to an El Salvador prison without receiving a trial.
"I don't know," Trump said when asked by host Kristen Welker whether he needs to uphold the Constitution. "I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said."
The Trump administration has said it doesn't need to request Abrego Garcia's release from El Salvador, where he's originally from, because of how the court worded its decision. Democrats and other critics have argued that such statements show the administration is refusing to obey the nation's highest court.
"What you said is not what I heard the Supreme Court said," Trump told Welker. "They have a different interpretation."
Trump officials have accused Abrego Garcia of being a member of the MS-13 gang and said if he were returned to the United States, he would be deported back to El Salvador because of his illegal status. Abrego Garcia has denied he was a member of MS-13 or any other gang.
Pressed whether his administration is following the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which says no person "shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," Trump said he wasn't sure.
"I don't know. It seems - it might say that, but if you're talking about that, then we'd have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials," he said. "We have thousands of people that are some murderers and some drug dealers and some of the worst people on Earth."
Trump has pushed the boundaries of presidential power during the first three-plus months of his second term, bypassing Congress to set policy and arguing that the president ‒ not U.S. district judges ‒ have the final say on national security matters.
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Donald Trump said he does not know if he has to uphold the Constitution!
This sorry ass MF is the President of the United States.
Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the United States Constiution sets forth the Presidential Oath of Office:
Are Republicans going to argue it doesn't say "uphold"?
Trump voters, you ought to be ASHAMED!
that emotion went away in trumpski's last term ...
What a complete disgrace. A President who says he doesn't know if he has to uphold the Constitution. That's going to become part of American history and taught to kids in school. F'ing lunatic.
To whom is that oath made?
To the American people. Every PotUS swears to the American people that s/he will preserve, protect, and defend the CotUS.
Is this different from what you thought?
I can't tell if his question is facetious or has some other significance.
No, not at all.
So, no answer?
TiG provided you the answer in his Comment 1.2.1, above.
Do you have some question about that? Was it necessary for me to repeat it for you?
Then what point were you trying to make by asking an extremely obvious question given you already knew the answer?
Actually, yes.
In your opinion, what does that constitute?
The citizens of the United States of America "constitute" the American people. Do you believe something different?
If the point you are trying to reach is that Trump doesn't have a duty or isn't required to uphold the Constitution as to non-citizens who, for whatever reason, are living in or temporarily visiting the U.S., or, more specifically, as to those who are here but who may have violated immigration laws, you would be wrong.
familiarize yourself with the red box rules in this group if you wish to continue commenting.
The oath is to everyone: The specific witnesses, the "people" in general; AND: the Presidential Oath is to the Constitution and the Laws of the United States. The public aspect of the swearing in signifies that the person being sworn in is pronouncing in front of everyone that they will uphold the Constitution and the laws. Once upon a time there was some gravity attached to this swearing of an oath.
I believe Trump deals so much in bad faith that he would not know how to swear an oath and mean it.
[✘]
Please list when and where that happened so we can discuss it.
Biden never ignored the Constitution and never said he didn't know if he had to uphold it.
Interesting that your comment is a fake whataboutism. Is that your defense of Trump saying he doesn't know if he has to uphold the Constitution?
[✘]
Biden never ignored the CotUS. He did issue EOs that were deemed unconstitutional or illegal by the Judicial Branch and in every case he abided by the ruling. And that includes his first attempt to forgive student loans (second attempt with an older law was not shut down).
Neither has Trump.
Refusal to facilitate the release and return of García is Trump refusing to abide by the law as determined by the SCotUS.
Intentionally violating the law after it has been clarified is not preserving, protecting, and defending the CotUS.
That's simply not true. The case is still being litigated, including the issue of whether the DOJ has satisfied the "facilitation" language. It's logically impossible to claim the Trump admin is defying the Supreme Court before the Court has issued a ruling saying it has.
All your doing is assuming the Garcia interpretation is correct and that Trump doesn't have the legal right to litigate it's position. Whatever happened to due process?
Trump has stated that he would not facilitate the return of Garcia.
You are bending over backwards to try to defend him.
He is defying the SCotUS.
You do not have a factual leg to stand on. For starters, The Supreme Court hasn’t ordered trump to do anything. The supreme court corrected the trial court’s order and sent the case back to the trial court to be litigated. It’s now being litigated and one of the issues is whether their trump administration has complied with the facilitation language. It says it has. Garcia says it hasn’t. There is no ruling by the Supreme Court on whether its actions constitute compliance or not. None.
you are accusing the trump administration of not complying with an order that doesn’t exist from the Supreme Court. Thats a simple fact.
It is pointless discussing this with someone who denies that the SCotUS affirmed with no dissents that Trump must facilitate the release and return of Garcia.
This ...
... means that the SCotUS affirms the district court ruling that Trump must facilitate Garcia's release and return to the USA. The details of this are being litigated but the order is clear.
When Trump stated that he would not bring Garcia back to the USA he violated the order categorically ... that means he violated the order regardless of the details.
Trump has no respect for the law or the constitution. You should stop trying to defend him.
You mean other than trump's own words?
But he is saying he doesn't have to....
So, the next Dem president comes along and says the same thing... You going to be ok with it?
s pointless discussing this with someone who denies that the SCotUS affirmed with no dissents that Trump must facilitate the release and return of Garcia.
It' is, in fact, pointless to discuss this with somone who misrepreents what the Court ordered. Let's go right to the horse's mouth:
I'll even break this down for you. Pay attention who the Court orders to do what. The Court orders the District Court Judge to clarify his order. The Government is told to be ready to share what its done. The final words tell you that nothing has been finally decided. That's it. I don't know how to make it any more plain that this case is still ongoing and being hashed out at the District Court.
Why you are so eager to refuse the Trump admin due process is beyond me.
When Trump stated that he would not bring Garcia back to the USA he violated the order categorically ... that means he violated the order regardless of the details.
You can take soundbites from TRump on every side of this issue.He said in the NBC interview he'd follow all rulings of the Court. Why don't Democrats obsessviely replay that sound byte, I wonder.?
Here's a final helpful hint. Whatever Trump says in the media doesn't really matter. It's very nice in the court of public opinion, and that's about it. It's what the government says, and does, before the actual Court that does. When the Supreme court finds the DOJ in contempt for refusing to follow an order and the DOJ refuses to cure it, than you can honestly say Trump is defying the Supreme Court.
Yes, I don't think the next democratic President should comply with imaginary orders from the Court, only with actual ones.
Why or how is the deportation of people residing in America "foreign affairs" ? It seems like entirely a domestic issue.
not to the people of the country they came from and are ultimately going back to Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise.
Why or how is the deportation of people residing in America "foreign affairs" ? It seems like entirely a domestic issue.
Abrego Garcia is a lawful citizen of El Salvador, not the USA and he’s in El Salvador. Just like bukele can’t order trump to turn over American citizens to him, trump, nor the Supreme Court can’t force bukele send garcia here. It’s solely a diplomatic issue at this point.
Trump claims all deportations are foreign affairs issues.
This one is only a foreign affairs issue and other involve foreign affairs as well. The other country has to accept the illegals back,
Deportations are primarily a domestic issue, as they involve a country enforcing its own immigration laws and removing individuals from within its borders. They are carried out by national immigration authorities and are part of domestic policy decisions. However, deportations can also have foreign policy implications, especially when they involve diplomatic relations between countries, asylum seekers, or international agreements on migration.
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Here is the easy to understand reality:
SCotUS affirmed that Trump must facilitate the release and return of Garcia.
Trump has stated that he will NOT return Garcia.
It does not matter what specific conditions are determined to quality the word 'facilitate' or any other word in the ruling because Trump has categorically refused to abide by the ruling. He has refused ALL conditions. He is thus defying the SCotUS.
You are bending over backwards trying to defend Trump. It is pathetic.
Now let's go beyond theory and enter reality. Bukele will return Garcia if Trump tells him to do so. There is no way on the planet that Bukele would compromise his sweet deal with Trump and defy him (with all the repercussions).
Bukele is refusing to return Garcia because that is what Trump wants him to do.
[deleted] [✘] What Trump says doesn't matter. He says contradictory things. What the DOJ does, matters. The DOJ believes it is complying with the order. It's being argued in District Court. YOu can look it up. The Supreme Court has never said Trump or the DOJ is not complying with an order.
Unless you can show an order from the Supreme Court saying "The government is not complying with our order of X," [deleted] [✘] if you claim Trump has ignored a Supreme Court order. It is simple reality, no matter how badly you want to exaggerate it or distort it for partisan purposes.
And rightfully so............
If you don't understand how a case involving a foreign citizen in a foreign country involves foreign affairs, there's really nothing I can say.
The fate of people residing in America is a domestic issue. The fate of Americans being held In Russian prisons, for example, is a foreign affairs issue.
So the guy is in a Salvadorian prison. Supposedly doesn't belong there, and for some unGodly reason, we are supposed to want him back. Thus, a foreign affairs issue.
You clearly do not want to accept the fact that Trump categorically refused to facilitate Garcia’s release and return.
He is thus violating the SCotUS no matter how ‘facilitate’ is defined.
Why is this rightfully so?
Whatever Trump says, eh?
It is El Salvador's problem.........always has been.
Your additional commentary aside (after I responded)
You don't get to unilaterally declare that TRump is violating a Supreme Court order. The Supreme Court does.
No matter how much you cherry pick evidence and ignore what's actually happening in the actual trial court where this is still being litigated, reality trumps partisan wishcasting. Words have meanings and you can't just make up a Supreme Court order that doesn't exist. It's your fantasy, not a fact.
The government gets due process too. This is early days yet and no one knows how this will play out. If Trump actually violates a Supreme Court order there will be no debate about whether he did or not. The Court will let you know.
No, Jim, Trump illegally deported Garcia. He explicitly was NOT to be deported to El Salvador.
He is a Salvadoran citizen. And the fact that he "couldn't" was due to supposed gang activity and he feared that. Perhaps Yemen would have been more to his liking.............
There is one thing I don't understand. [✘] As pointed out SEVERAL times within this hallowed site, Obama deported over 2 million and nary a word. Why is that, do you think?
Sure it does. He is the one who is doing the defying. He categorically refuses to facilitate the release and return of Garcia and, to reify this, he has done absolutely nothing (actions) that in any way illustrate even the most minor attempt to facilitate his release and return.
Denying reality to defend Trump is ridiculous; it amazes me that people will bend over backwards to defend him in spite of blatantly obvious reality.
Probably because Obama did not make a big deal out of it. Quit deflecting.
The USA granted Garcia withholding from removal to El Salvador. That means, Jim, that he can be deported to any nation OTHER THAN El Salvador.
See?
No deflection. FACT. Where was the outrage?
Why? Cuz they bought his story? Or perhaps his story was legit.
Never ceases to amaze why all thes fighting age men would leave the land they supposedly loved and didn't fight for it.
Yeah, Jim, you insisting on talking about Obama's controversial deportations is deflection.
Nowhere did Obama refuse to comply with the Judicial branch (as with Garcia). So your comparison makes no sense.
And, pay attention, even if Obama did do everything bad that Trump is doing (which he clearly did NOT), that does not in any way excuse Trump.
Trump is the PotUS now and his actions are what we are discussing. Defending Trump's wrongful and irresponsible acts is disgusting.
Denying reality to defend Trump is ridiculous
You are making up easily disprovable claims while accusing others of denying reality. Textbook gaslighting. It's no different than claiming the Supreme Court has found Abrego Garcia immediately deportable to El Salvador because the gang he feared no longer exists. Just skip all the due process stuff, right?
If Trump was defying a Supreme Court order like you claimed, you could produce a Supreme Court order saying so. But I know you can't. You know you can't. Rather than admit the admit the obvious you obfuscate and pretend some cherry picked piece of evidence somehow acts as a Supreme Court order. It's absurd.
Trump categorically refuses to facilitate the release and return of Garcia and, to reify this, he has done absolutely nothing (actions) that in any way illustrate even the most minor attempt to facilitate his release and return.
Tough shit!!! Why go to the expense? He's where he needs to be.
Brilliant rebuttal.
Other than the fact that he was illegally deported (and without due process) and that it is immoral to keep him there when the SCotUS already affirmed that Trump is supposed to facilitate his release and return so that he can return to his home and family, continue working as an apprentice steelworker, and continue to NOT have a criminal record.
[✘]
Thanks. It served its purpose and exemplifies the feelings of a LOT of people.
Supposed to? Sounds like the Salvadoran GovCo disagrees with your assertion. Unfortunate turn for those who are yelling at the sky for his release.
Yes, the SCotUS affirmed the order for Trump to facilitate the release and return of Garcia.
The entire interview was ludicrous, and Welkers attitude was basically, "thank you sir may I have another"?
Trump clearly is going to keep pushing the limits of his powers until he is stopped. He will not abide by norms and basic notions of responsibility like every other PotUS in our history (even those like Jackson who defied the judiciary were predominantly 'normal' in comparison to all presidents). He will do whatever he wants until an effective force stops him.
He clearly does not care about anything other than his own satisfaction. Having such a person empowered with the power of the US presidency is the worst failure of the US electorate in my lifetime. Trump supporters should indeed be ashamed but they do the opposite and defend him no matter what.
That's it, right there. That is just so beyond pathetic. Man or woman up and face it, you all Fckd up. Everybody does sometimes. The sooner they realize and accept this, and Trump begins to lose support, support for one who should have always remained on abort, the sooner this country will be again on the right track, but, with immense damage already done, and some, can never be undone, we will pay for allowing ignorance to rule, and that is a shame. So wake up peoples and contact your local Reps and Senate, and lets start to heal this country from the extreme mess that the far 'right' has brought to and upon US, cause our children and grandchildren deserve by US, to be left a better by US, Country, cause what American doesn't want that ...?
besides the one PutinTrump in office, his mentally challenged and socially inadequate medicine induced Coma cabinet, and any and all with minds so numb and small that doesn't realize what Trump has done, done to US All !
... in the history of the country.
Well... he didn't put his hand on the Bible during his inauguration. And maybe he had his fingers crossed behind his back. Those things are important, you know.
... especially to his cult of unamerican morons.
After all, the SCotUS gave him immunity for what he does officially, so he can do anything he pleases to contravene any law of the land, so long as it's an "official" act.
Doesn't that seem to be similar to the "rights" of a dictator?
The immunity case decision was a travesty, and contradictory to our American tradition that no man is above the law.
Well, you can forget that tradition, and deposit "No man is above the law" into one of America's museums - the Smithsonian I would imagine.
We're not going to forget about anything. Supreme Court rulings can be, and sometimes are, overturned, limited or modified by subsequent decisions. Roe v. Wade is an example of a Supreme Court ruling that was overturned by a subsequent Supreme Court decision. I don't expect the absolute immunity doctrine as it stands now to survive.
How long do you think it will be before the court will have a liberal majority?
How long do you think it will be before the court will have a liberal majority?
Buzz
You didn't ask me, but I have a thought on the question (hope you don't mind)
I think it will be a very long time, because I suspect that as Trump begins to think he is going to lose control of the Senate that we could see Scalia and Thomas retire and to young conservatives be nominated to SCOTUS and confirmed by the Senate.
That could maintain the conservative majority in SCOTUS for decades
you mean Alito not Scalia , and it would also depend on who controls the senate at the time they retire for conformation .
But as always there is really no telling how a justice will vote after they are confirmed and seated . thats just the nature of the beast as it always has been .
Thanks to you and Mark for the info. Bad news IMO.
Maybe when there is a liberal President again, the conservatives on the Supreme Court will change their minds and decide that the President doesn't have immunity.
LOL, they really don't need to go to any lengths to establish thier corrupt bias.
Mark
Correct thanks for correcting my mental cramp
Laws and rules and the Constitution don't apply to Trump, a man that the Supreme Court gave total immunity to.
He told everyone he would be a dictator on day one which has stretched into EVERY day.
As predicted. Just what we expected from him.
He proved himself a law breaker when he said he doesn't know if he has to uphold the Constitution.
He knows he does but he likes breaking laws
in the trump cult, ignorance of the law is a valid excuse ...
What is the proper response to a President who says he doesn't know if he has to uphold the Constitution? The only remedy is impeachment and removal from office.
That only works if the branch of government in charge of impeachment agrees. Clearly they don't. I can guarantee this idea will be front and center during mid-term election cycle. The House is likely to change hands, but the Senate probably won't so it's a moot point other than for energizing voters, campaign contributions and angry clickbait articles.
You're correct, of course, but that leaves us with no remedy. Accordingly, since the President is free to decide whether or not to uphold the Constitution, we are now living under an autocratic regime.
It leaves us with two... the first being elections, but if those are also ignored it will lead to the second - a violent civil war.
Or there is option number two that seems to be what most Trump sycophants are choosing which is to abandon the constitution and this nearly 250 year experiment in a democratic constitutional Republic in favor of an authoritarian leader who they believe has their best interests at heart and won't be hobbled by laws and a constitution cockblocking them from establishing themselves and their religion as the rulers of this nation while subjugating all those they deem sinners, liberals, progressives and anyone who doesn't look like them, pray like them and marry the way they do (which is to one woman, but if you don't like her then cheat on her and marry a second wife and then cheat on her and marry a third wife and then cheat on her with several porn stars, then become the religious rights messiah).
What that means is there is no way in hell that Trump will ever actually be impeached and removed. He's been impeached twice already, but partisan Republicans chose party over country and prevented his removal and there simply is no further appetite for a third attempt get weaselly Republican with no backbones to do the right thing.
Let's face facts, Trump supporters don't give a fuck about facts or reality, they don't care about this country, probably haven't since their ancestors lost the civil war, and it's our mistake for ever believing we could simply debate them with facts and figures. It would be far easier to convince most brainwashed cultist that their cult leader wasn't actually a deity then it would be to convince Trump supporters that he's ever done anything wrong or is lying. The cult of Trump is large and there is no telling what damage it may do to our nation and our citizens.
I'm ready, when maga hits my tipping point ...
I defy trmp supporters to call themselves patriots or real Americans. If they want to use the Constitution for toilet paper I have a solution for that. But I can't say it here
Lots of comments and I have not read them all yet.
I do want to say this, Trump is using the presidency to get what he wants from it-money for himself and his family. He is 'milking' this country and the world. The man is creating and building an 'empire' that he can retreat to after he leaves the presidency!
Now then, MAGAs want us to be believe a man who is staging Trump building projects in some of the richest countries in this world, does not understand the plain written language in the Constitution or does not have a big enough 'nerve' to ASK somebody (like one or two of those high price lawyers he personally pays (hey! Here's an idea: How about the white house counsel?))
Stop! Enough! The man is playing stupid (and even putting on his 'blank' face for effect) and people are being fools to buy it.
Trump knows what the constitution states. Stop buying this bullshit. Why? Because a sucker is born everyday! Don't be a 'new-born'!
I will tell you what Trump does not know: He does not know if the citizens of this country are going to keep wagging their tongues or get off their asses and stop him. That is what he doe not know! Otherwise, he will keep lying because he gets a lot of mileage out of lying to. . . SUCKERS!
So true, CB, so very true.
Every time you think he could not possibly say anything more stupid, something like this pops up in an interview.
Was it Einstein that said? Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe!
Trump's statement proves that I guess
It's just more proof of why it is stated that some people you simply can't play around with. That is, society is trying hard to play fair with Donald. What Donald sees from fairness is a chance to push deeper. People like Trump do not stop pushing against or digging down until they hit total and complete resistance. The proverbial, "give me an inch; take a mile" —types. The, 'take kindness for weakness' —types. You literally have to figuratively 'disconnect their heads from their damn bodies' or like "Jason" or zombies, they will rise again to resume their bullshit once again.
That is the point of due process. . . to not make it easier on the government to disappear people without reasonable cause. Donald Trump wants to consign people to government hell because he sees political gain in it for himself (MAGA). Thus, he throws people into a pre-arranged holding 'gulag' in El Salvador imply because its expedient, gets high fives from his 'boys and girls (MAGAs),' and worse violates the law.
This is the same man who once wrote an op-Ed about the "Brooklyn Five" seeking the death penalty from judges who gave them prison time. They were later found to be innocent (all five) and yet unforgiving Trump did not apology for wanting all five of those young men executed, literally.